Total pages in book: 70
Estimated words: 66753 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 334(@200wpm)___ 267(@250wpm)___ 223(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 66753 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 334(@200wpm)___ 267(@250wpm)___ 223(@300wpm)
He kneels down in front of me. “You were crying. He was angry.”
I hold up Molly. “I cried because you surprised me with her, and he’s always angry.”
His lips press together. “That’s not wrong, but he’s a man of control. He doesn’t storm out of a room. And he shouldn’t be at your house.”
“Yes, well, he doesn’t care what he should or should not do. It’s all about money to Tyler. You know that.”
I’m sure this is the winning statement, but Dash proves me wrong, continuing to push. “What did you do to piss him off, Bella?” he repeats
“Told him everything about the contract was wrong, which it was. Thanks to me, he wasn’t able to close the deal tonight.” All of which is the truth, I think, as long as we don’t get into details. I scoop the pup up again and change the subject. “Thank you,” I say again.
“Thank you,” he says. “Molly is my way of showing my appreciation for all you did to close that deal for me.”
“And because you’re afraid I’ll end up old and alone.”
“On the contrary,” he says. “I’d rather you have a dog than the wrong man. For instance, Tyler.”
And here we go again. “Tyler’s my boss,” I say, dismissing his comment. “I’m worried about the puppy needing and deserving love and companionship. My job is ridiculously demanding.”
Allie sits on the chair framing this side of the couch. “You’ll give her plenty of love.”
“Did you get one for yourselves?” I ask, looking between them.
Allie cast Dash a demure look. “I’m working on him.”
“Maybe you can make real babies instead,” I suggest.
“Now I know you’re trying to distract me from Tyler’s bullshit,” Dash accuses.
The puppy whines and starts sniffing the ground. Allie hops up and scoops her out of my arms. “I’ll take her to potty.” She heads for the door, and while yes, the puppy needs to go out, I’m pretty sure she’s giving me and my brother some sibling time.
Allie understands that need a little too well right now, considering I’d rather skip it until I’ve pulled myself together. Damn it, I want to cry again. And damn Tyler for making my insides feel like mush.
I push to my feet, intent on running away from my brother and not afraid to admit it. But he’s standing as soon as I’m standing, planted right in front of me. “Talk to me, little sis,” he urges gently.
He’s obviously not buying my diversions, and while I could make up a bigger story, and basically lie to Dash, that’s not the relationship I want to have with him, or anyone in my life, for that matter. I get that from my mother. She preached honesty and she lived by the truth, no matter how difficult the truth can sometimes be.
She wouldn’t approve of a barrier between me and Dash.
I don’t approve, either. Not so long ago, Dash hid a lot from me. He hid his underground fighting from me because he was embarrassed. He didn’t like what it said about himself. I’m not sure what this thing with Tyler says about me, but I don’t think I like it either. This is why I confess to Dash, “I’m not ready. I need to process and think.”
His chin lowers, his eyes fixed on me. “Bella,” he says, compelling me to speak with that one word.
“I need to think,” I repeat more insistently. “And I need to deal with this myself.”
“I tried dealing with things on my own,” he replies, speaking of his fight club habit, no doubt. “It didn’t go so well for me,” he adds. “Don’t make the same mistake.”
“I’m not going to shut you out and hide some major problem from you, Dash. I’ve worked with Tyler for five years now. I just haven’t been under these intense circumstances with him since I was in LA. He’s intense. And without the office as a buffer, more so than ever. It was” —I lower my lashes and then lift them—“overwhelming. But even so, I’m exhausted, or he wouldn’t have been able to get to me tonight. He’s also my boss,” I add. “And I don’t need my big brother to insert himself into my career. I won’t have a career if that’s how this plays out.”
He studies me for a long moment. “This is a work thing?”
I think of the contract Tyler just offered me and I don’t even hesitate to reply with “Yes,” because Tyler made it clear that’s all anything with me is or will ever become.
“What did he do to piss you off?”
“I swear you asked this, and I have answered. Tyler acted like Tyler, and that’s what pissed me off. Him being him. And for the record, I’ve seen him make grown men cry.”
He scrubs his jaw and settles his hands on his hips. “Okay. That’s all you had to say. And I’m sure the situation with his father hasn’t made him more tolerable.”